Fixing the pool allocation issue isn't a matter of blaming - it is a matter of transparency and accountability

By Pepper Parr

October 21^st, 2025

BURLINGTON, ON

OPINION

Just where does the responsibility for the swimming pool allocation time mess rest?  Someone made a mistake and should accept responsibility.

A number of years ago when   Bruce Krushelnicki  was the City Director of Planning, a Staff report was being delivered on bylaw enforcement.

Five minutes into the verbal part of the staff report it had become evident that the person responding to Council questions was way in over her head.

Krushelnicki indicated he had something to say.  The Chair of the meeting recognized the Director of Planning who then said.  We are withdrawing the report.

Within a year there was a total overhaul of the Bylaw enforcement office.   The manager took early retirement.

Basit was CAO when the decisions were made about how much pool time the swimming clubs were going to be given.

The YMCA swimming pool. BAD gets 17 hours a week in the pool.

Former Burlington CAO Hassaan Basit, made a practice of telling Council that Staff will make mistakes; he wanted staff to take risks even though on occasion mistakes will be made.

I don’t recall his every saying the city would make things right when a mistake is made.

That doesn’t mean removing a staff member from their position.  It does mean having a very frank discussion about the mistake and teaching the staffer how to better evaluate risk.

The current Council doesn’t seem to be able to accept responsibility and direct staff to fix a problem and make things right.

One frequent Gazette commenter, who is a better wordsmith than me, had this to say on what took place before Council

Emilie Cote: Director of Recreation, Community and Culture.

“I know that Emily Cote was prancing and dancing before Council with many verbal arabesques with the Sound of Music issue, was not to be found within five postal codes of the discussion of the swimming fiasco.  An empty seat despite the fact that she was the responsible program executive.”

If informed citizens can spot a problem – surely Council and Staf have the same cognizant capacity to fix things.

That’s why they are there – isn’t it?

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